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The cement, steel, textile, paper, and fertilizer sectors are keys to economic development as they provide job opportunities, boost industrialization, spur technological advances, improve workers’ skill levels, and contribute to GDP. These industrial sectors account for more than one-third of global primary energy use and have significant environmental impacts because of the types of fuel and raw materials used.
Decarbonization of these major energy-consuming sectors is needed to meet targets under international agreements such as the 2015 Paris Agreement, UN SDGs, and 2021Glasgow Climate Pact. The use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil is common in these sectors, and thus adopting energy-efficient practices and technologies would benefit stakeholders across value chains.
This e-course will disseminate information on improving the productivity of these sectors through the adoption of energy-efficient best practices, equipment retrofits, and available technologies.
Course Objectives
The main objectives of this course are to:
Course Modules
This e-learning course will cover energy conservation opportunities and best practices in industry sectors in the following modules:
Module 1: Cement Manufacturing
Cement manufacturing is an energy-intensive process that has recently adopted significant technological advances. Energy in the cement industry comprises 40–50% of total production costs.There are numerous methods and technologies to conserve energy in the cement industry worldwide.
Module 2: Steel Manufacturing
Iron and steel are the largest consumers of energy among all industrial sectors. Energy costs total 30–35% of this sector’s production costs and are emission intensive. There is huge potential for improving energy efficiency in the iron and steel industry despite limitations in the availability and quality of iron ore.
Module 3: Textile Manufacturing
The rapidly growing textile industry plays a significant role in industrial output and employment generation. This sector also leaves detrimental ecological footprints due to its high energy, water, and chemical consumption, with low energy utilization efficiency.
Module 4: Fertilizer Manufacturing
The fast-growing world population requires more food, and fertilizers are among the most important elements to ensure sufficient food production. The fertilizer sector is capital, energy, and technology intensive. Therefore, high efficiency levels are essential for its viability.
Module 5: Paper Manufacturing
The pulp and paper industry accounts for approximately 5–6% of total global industrial energy consumption, and energy use accounts for 20–30% of the cost of paper manufacturing. Most paper mills are long-established enterprises and hence their technologies should be modernized. This module will present and explain best practices for continuous improvement in energy efficiency and environmental performance in paper manufacturing.
Important Notes:
The existing industrial linear model of “take–make–waste” and burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil, which are finite energy sources, has led to greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. This has adverse climate impacts including rising sea levels and global warming. The increasing global population and urbanization are further accelerating climate change due to increases in demand. To provide future generations opportunities to meet their needs without additional harm to the environment, international efforts like the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and the UN 2030 SDGs call for urgent action and collaboration.
On its part, the APO conceptualized Green Productivity (GP) in 1994 which is in line with these initiatives. GP aims to strengthen the triple bottom line of enterprises comprising productivity enhancement, social justice, and environmental protection. The GP framework, including its six-step and 13-task methodology, is based on the plan–do–check–act cycle. GP tools and techniques guide businesses to achieve growth and profitability with the least impact on the environment.
This e-course includes five video-based modules. The first module emphasizes the need to take urgent actions for sustainable development and mitigate climate change through adoption of sustainability concepts and frameworks such as GP. The second module provides an overview of the GP methodology showcasing a step-by-step approach to implementation at an enterprise level. The subsequent modules elaborate on GP tools and techniques such as brainstorming, Gantt charts, ecomapping, waste reduction, design for the environment, product redesign, etc. The modules also include relevant case studies showing that the adoption of the GP framework leads to profitability, overall well-being of human resources, and minimizing the adverse impacts of industrial activity on the environment. In addition, videos are presented illustrating similarities with other well-known sustainability concepts such as the circular economy.
Course Objectives:
The main objectives of this course are:
This e-learning course will cover the following modules: Module 1: Sustainable development: A call for action Module 2: GP: Overview and methodology Module 3: GP tools Module 4: GP techniques Module 5: Approaches to implementing GP tools and techniques
Course Description: The APO has been promoting the concept of Green Productivity (GP) since 1994, where the focus is to enhance productivity and simultaneously reduce negative impacts on the environment. GP leverages various productivity tools and techniques to help organizations improve their quality, occupational safety, and environmental management, which meets the purposes of certain established management systems. An integrated management systems (IMS) is thus suggested to address the quality, environmental, health and safety requirements of an organization more effectively. By combining existing management systems, an IMS is with well-defined goals and objectives, a detailed implementation plan, and measurement on performance involving third-party auditing, which will help organizations to improve their overall productivity and reduce environmental impact.
Course Objectives: To enable participants to understand the principles and effective integration of quality management systems (ISO 9001), environmental management systems (ISO 14001), and occupational health and safety management systems (ISO45001) with an understanding of Green Productivity and approach to implementation.
Important Notes: ISO 45001 is currently under development; the module is prepared based on the latest information.
Course description:
This is a practical course on the application of green productivity based on ISO14001 Standards. It covers pretty much “the how to” elements of the subject. It starts from outlining basic understanding on several basic notions to the application of green productivity tools for adopting the standard. The details are below:
Module 1: General Concept and Overview of EMS: ISO 14001
Module 2: Understanding the EMS Standard ISO 14001 I (Scope, Terms, Definition, and Objectives)
Module 3: Understanding the EMS Standard ISO 14001 II (Principles and Fundamental Elements of EMS) and Quiz
Module 4: Understanding the EMS Standard ISO 1400 III (Implementation of EMS: Policy and Planning Steps)
Module 5: Understanding the EMS Standard ISO 14001 IV (Implementation of EMS: Operation, Checking and Correcting, and Management Review Steps)
Module 6: General Concept of GP and Interrelation between ISO 1400 and Quiz
Module 7: Application of GP Tools to Adopt EMS: ISO 14001
Module 8: Final Exam
This course will facilitate the learning process of the participant on the topic of ISO 14001: Environmental Management System (EMS) and understand how an EMS should be implemented in an organization utilizing the Green Productivity (GP) approach.
1. Participants who register to take this course and pass the final examination with a score of 70% or higher will be eligible to receive the APO certificate. Please note that the final examination can only be taken once. Therefore, you decide when you choose to take the examination. Please note that the self-assessment quizzes are for your own evaluation and have no connection with the final examination results.
2. The above is applicable only to participants from APO member countries. Participants from nonmember countries are welcome to take the course for self-improvement, though they will not get an opportunity to attend the follow-up face-to-face multicountry APO projects.